The post Eat a big breakfast to increase your fertility appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>While prior research has found that the timing of our meals can affect our weight, a new study announced this week shows that it can also affect insulin resistance and hormone levels.
Making breakfast the largest meal of the day could boost the chance of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a menstrual problem that affects up to 10 percent of women of reproductive age, to conceive, researchers said.
Women with PCOS become resistant to insulin, which can result in an increase in male sex hormones known as androgens, impairing their fertility.
A research team from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University studied 60 patients with PCOS between the ages of 25 and 39 over a 12-week period. Each subject was told to eat about 1,800 calories per day, slightly below the recommended daily total for women, but with half having their largest meal of the day at breakfast and the other half at dinner.
Findings, published in the journal Clinical Science, found that there were higher levels of ovulation in the group who ate their largest meal, typically about 980 calories, at breakfast time.
Also among the big breakfast eaters, glucose levels and insulin resistance dropped by eight percent, while levels of androgens decreased by 50 percent. Those who ate a larger dinner showed no change.
“The research clearly demonstrates that indeed the amount of calories we consume daily is very important, but the timing as to when we consume them is even more important,” said study leader Professor Oren Froy.
Access the study: http://www.clinsci.org/cs/125/cs1250423.htm
(AFP Relaxnews)
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]]>Research has found that 9 percent of all conceptions take place over the holiday period, making December the most fertile month of the year. For couples wanting a baby, Neema Savvides, a nutritional therapist at the Harley Street Fertility Clinic in the UK, advised adding more Brussels sprouts to your plate, The Daily Mail reports.
“Believe it or not, this green micro-cabbage is a baby-making superfood,” she said, according to BabyWorld.co.uk. “Firstly, they are bursting with folic acid, which is essential for boosting fertility in both men and women. This vitamin-rich source also increases sperm levels and helps line the womb with the right nutrients raising sperm survival chances.”
“Another benefit of this folic-rich food is that it also helps to decrease the risk of miscarriages and birth defects.”
The vegetables are also packed with a phytonutrient called di-indolylmethane, which has been found to help women absorb balanced levels of the hormone estrogen.
Plus since it binds to environmental estrogens, such as pesticides and hormones found in meat and dairy products, it helps rid the body of excess hormones, boosting fertility.
(AFP Relaxnews)
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]]>The post Aspirin could help you fall pregnant! appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Researchers at the National Institute of Health in the US think this might be due to an increase of blood flow to the womb when taking aspirin.
While aspirin might improve your chances of falling pregnant, scientists saw no change in the rate of miscarriages during the study, leading them to warn that aspirin does little to stop a miscarriage from taking place.
Doctors have been known to prescribe low doses of aspirin to women who have experienced a miscarriage and want to try again for another baby, but no research has been conducted to establish whether the ubiquitous drug truly has any influence.
In a study of over 1000 women who had experienced pregnancy loss, researchers divided the sample into two groups – one which would receive a daily dose of aspirin and the other which would receive a placebo over a period of six months while they tried to conceive.
These were women who had lost a baby before they were four-and-a-half months pregnant in the past year.
No difference between the pregnancy loss rates of those who had the placebo and those who had received the daily aspirin, however, a higher rate of conception was noted between those who took the aspirin (78 percent) versus the placebo (66 percent).
Of the placebo group 66 percent became pregnant and 53 percent of those women had a live birth.
The scientists hope to further their research by studying the possibility of aspirin helping the other sub-groups in the study to conceive.
The findings can be found in The Lancet.
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]]>As fertility experts shared their research at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Boston this week, Loyola University dietitian Brooke Schantz offered essential diet tips to increase your chances of having a baby.
“Establishing a healthy eating pattern and weight is a good first step for women who are looking to conceive,” she said. “Not only will a healthy diet and lifestyle potentially help with fertility, but it also may influence fetal well-being and reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy.”
Thirty percent of infertility is due to being either overweight or underweight, according to the National Infertility Association in the US. Reducing extra weight by even five percent can enhance fertility, experts say.
For women looking to conceive, Schantz recommends the following:
But men aren’t left out of the equation. “Men who are looking to have a baby also have a responsibility to maintain a healthy body weight and consume a balanced diet, because male obesity may affect fertility by altering testosterone and other hormone levels,” Schantz said.
Approximately 40 percent of infertility issues are attributed to men, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
(AFP Relaxnews)
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]]>Many of these products could contain toxic chemicals known as phthalates which can cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects and even reproductive problems.
A recent investigation of 14 common air fresheners by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found hormone-disrupting chemicals known as phthalates in 12 products, including some fresheners marketed as “all-natural” and “unscented.”
None of the air fresheners listed phthalates on their labels. The air fresheners NRDC tested included aerosol sprays, liquids that emit a continuous scent, and a solid.
NRDC’s testing was limited, but the results do suggest that more comprehensive, in-depth testing of air fresheners is warranted.
Air fresheners are used indoors, heightening the threat of exposure to families.
A study (by the University of Bristol called “Children of the ’90s”, which has followed the health and development of 14,000 children since before birth) didn’t analyse the ingredients in air fresheners, just the effects:
Researchers have suggested that strong regulations need to be set in motion to protect consumers, such as having all manufacturers test and submit data on the levels of toxicity and health effects of inhaling the chemicals.
All is not lost if you wish to keep your home smelling fresh. Simple ways to freshen your surroundings naturally include:
Learn more about effectively removing odour & bacteria at www.hygizone.com.
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]]>The post Decoding your prenatal vitamin appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>Good nutrition is important to help prepare a woman’s body for the additional demands placed on it during pregnancy. Certain nutrients, like folic acid, vitamin B12 and zinc are also of particular importance from the very first moment of conception (zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction whilst vitamin B12 contributes to normal red blood cell formation and also has a role in the process of cell division).
“In addition to eating a healthy, balanced diet, it is important that the supplement a woman chooses to take is specifically designed for pregnancy in order to ensure the levels of all vitamins and minerals are ideal for both mum and baby”, says Vitabiotics’ Pregnacare.
Current research highlights that women who take folic acid supplements for at least a year before they become pregnant can cut their risk of having a premature baby by 70 percent.
As well as the healthy development of the foetal neural tube, folic acid may also play a role in conception and is required in the first days and weeks of life, before you even know that you are pregnant.
Folic Acid is also beneficial beyond 12 weeks as it contributes to maternal tissue growth during pregnancy.
The UK Department of Health recommends a daily dosage of 400mg of folic acid.
Both are important co-factors in antioxidant enzymes, to help protect genetic material from free radical damage.
May help support ovarian function and enhance fertility. It is involved in the cell signalling pathway which influences fertilisation and cell growth.
Is a well known ingredient involved in nitric oxide (NO) metabolism. L-arginine can influence follicular release as well as healthy follicular blood flow and implantation.
N-acetyl cysteine is involved in glutathione production (an important antioxidant in the body). It is also important for healthy cervical secretions.
Part of the B complex group of vitamins, it has been found that B12 supplementation can maintain healthy ovarian function and reproductive health. Vitamin B6 is also recommended before conception.
DHA is an omega 3 fatty acid that plays an essential role in the healthy development of the brain, nervous system and eyes in a foetus or newborn infant.
Be sure to choose a prenatal vitamin with an ideal, moderate level of iron. High levels of iron are not recommended unless there is a particular requirement as identified by your doctor or gynaecologist.
Remember, good nutritional intake is vital throughout pregnancy, not just the first 12 weeks.
About the Author: For more information on Vitabiotics’ Pregnacare range, visit www.vitabiotics.co.za
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]]>While there is a growing trend for women to put off becoming a mom until they are older, Vitalab Fertility Clinic’s Dr Merwyn Jacobson warns that the hands of the clock cannot be turned back.
“Fertility clinics can do a lot to help women in their 20s to mid-30s whose tubes are blocked or whose partners have a low sperm count, but age-related infertility is less promising.”
“The health risks to both mom and child are far greater once a women passes 35, with infertility, miscarriage and pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia becoming more common the older a woman becomes, as does the risk of having a baby with a congenital abnormality.”
Studies have shown that fertility begins to decline significantly after the age of 35, with an even sharper fall once a woman enters her 40s. At this time, the chances of having a miscarriage also rise. But Dr Jacobson acknowledges that there are many women who are not ready to have children during their most fertile period.
Balancing a career and the desire to have children is not always straightforward, and for many women, bearing a child is believed to be the easy part.
“We are not here to dictate when a woman should have a child, but we do want to dispel the myths surrounding later childbirth, and to give sound information about the risks associated with giving birth later in life,” explains Dr Jacobson.
“If you don’t have all the information, then you can’t make a realistic decision, and this can lead to heartbreak and regrets about delaying motherhood. Women need to realise that using fertility treatment is no guarantee of success; techniques such as IVF stimulate the release of more eggs but do not compensate for the effects of ageing on egg quality.”
Dr Jacobson adds that studies have shown that the live birth rate following IVF treatment for women aged under 35 is 31 percent. This figure falls to below five percent among women older than 42. Fertility also declines rapidly after the age of 35, making it much harder to become pregnant.
One of the latest infertility techniques is egg freezing, but Dr Jacobson said there is still too little known about the long-term effects of freezing, with regard to the women’s chances of becoming pregnant or potential genetic problems with the child.
“Women may think that they have an insurance policy with frozen eggs and may even decide to put off having children even longer, but there is no guarantee that these eggs will be viable,” says Dr Jacobson.
“This technique is without a doubt invaluable for infertility, but it is still in its infancy, and it does not overcome other age-related complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.”
The decision on whether and when to have a child would have to be one of the most important decisions a person can make.
Biology is unforgiving, but so too is the corporate world, and many women who make the decision to take a ‘pregnant pause’ during their career find the way back extremely difficult.
The desire to be in a stable relationship with a supportive partner or achieving financial independence also play a significant role in deciding when to have a child.
Dr Jacobson warns that women who do decide to wait until after they are 35 to have a baby need to consult a fertility clinic if they don’t conceive naturally almost immediately after trying, as the effectiveness of medical techniques also decrease the older you get. And he also reminds women that the ‘miracle’ babies like babies conceived by older mothers inevitably make headline news, whereas childlessness is a private and sorrowful experience.
For more information on fertility treatment visit www.vitalab.com
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]]>The post Preconception health – important for women and men! appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>There are things men can do for their own health, as well as for the women and children (living and unborn) in their lives.
Whether or not you’ve written them down, you’ve probably thought about your goals for having or not having children and how to achieve those goals. This is called a reproductive life plan. It’s really important to have a plan and take action. Every woman, man, and couple can benefit from having a reproductive life plan based on values, goals, and resources.
Get screened and treated for any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Continue to protect yourself and your partner from STDs during pregnancy. Pregnancy does not provide a woman or the baby she is carrying any protection against STDs. The consequences of an STD can be significantly more serious, even life threatening, for a woman and her unborn baby if the woman becomes infected while pregnant. In addition, some STDs can cause infertility (not being able to get pregnant) in a woman.
Smoking, using “street” drugs, and drinking too much alcohol (binge drinking) is harmful to your health.
Secondhand smoke can cause early death and disease among children and adults who do not smoke. A pregnant woman who is exposed to secondhand smoke has a 20% higher chance of giving birth to a baby with low birth weight than women who are not exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy.
In addition, drinking too much alcohol and using “street” drugs can cause infertility among men.
Exposure to toxic substances and other harmful materials at work or at home, such as synthetic chemicals, metals, fertilizer, bug spray, and cat or rodent feces, can hurt the reproductive systems of men and women. These substances can make it more difficult for a couple to get pregnant. Exposure to even small amounts during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, or puberty can lead to certain diseases. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from toxic substances and other harmful materials at work and at home.
Sometimes a man is born with problems that affect his sperm. Other times, problems may start later in life due to illness or injury. A man’s sperm can be affected by his overall health and lifestyle. Some things that can reduce the health or number of sperm include:
If you are concerned about your fertility, talk with your doctor or other health professional.
Obesity among men is associated directly with increasing male infertility. People who are underweight are also at risk for serious health problems. The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t about short-term dietary changes. It’s about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity. Staying in control of your weight contributes to good health now and as you age.
If you are underweight, overweight, or obese, talk with your doctor or other health professional about ways to reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Collecting your family’s health history can be important for your child’s health. You might not realise that your sister’s heart defect or your cousin’s sickle cell disease could affect your child, but sharing this family history information with your doctor can be important.
Based on your family history, your doctor might refer you for genetic counselling. Other reasons people go for genetic counselling include having had several miscarriages, infant deaths, trouble getting pregnant (infertility), a genetic condition or a birth defect that occurred during a previous pregnancy.
As partners, men can encourage and support the health of women. For example, if your partner is trying to eat healthier in preparation for pregnancy you can join her and eat healthier, too. Or if your partner has a medical condition, you can encourage her to see her doctor and remind her to follow her treatment plan.
About the Author: Research shows that male infertility contributes to 50 percent of all couple’s fertility problems. Prelox® is a patented blend of Pycnogenol and L-arginine designed to actively treat male infertility. For more information, visit http://www.2tostartafamily.co.za/.
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]]>The post Can exercise help you fall pregnant? appeared first on All4Baby.
]]>While exercise cannot automatically guarantee pregnancy, it can increase your fertility and thus your chances of falling pregnant.
These are the benefits of exercising before or whilst you try to conceive…
Exercise helps to keep you within your natural body weight. By staying within the recommended 18 to 24 body fat percentage, you will increase your chances of falling pregnant.
Exercise normally goes hand in hand with a healthy nutritional lifestyle, as well as efficient sleeping patterns. With this physical trinity in harmony, your physical well-being is at an all time high and this is probably the best time to fall pregnant.
Your emotional state has a lot to do with your chances of falling pregnant. Physical exercise increases your supply of happy hormones (endorphins). This makes you feel a lot more confident and happier about yourself. Thus, exercise is an easy and natural way to improve your state of mind.
Stress has a negative effect on your body and mind, which in turn impacts your fertility. If you are stressed, exercise can help rid you of the associated negative feelings. A happy body and mind is more fertile than a stressed and worn out one.
When we are active (and exercising), we tend to drink more water. Being properly hydrated plays a big role in our physical well-being. Water in itself helps to flush toxins from our systems and ultimately helps the body to function more optimally.
It is very simple. A healthy pregnancy starts with making sure that you have a healthy body. It’s important for your body to be healthy even before conception takes place, as your DNA configuration is passed on. This means that moms and dads-to-be need to be in top form, physically and emotionally.
If you are planning a pregnancy now or in the new future, then kick-start a healthier lifestyle today. Remember, that the key to a sustainable exercise lifestyle is consistency and not intensity.
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